In other words, copyright is not a natural right, but rather a state granted privilege. Unfortunately, many authors and publishers seems to think that because they have a copyright on a work, it means that any perceived restriction to copyright is actually a restriction to their rights when in fact it is a privilege which should, in a free society always have limits.

Now mind you, I am not arguing against copyright per say. Proper copyright serves both to induce artists and writers to produce and publish work and to ensure that they receive fair compensation for their labors. However, I think it is clear that copyright in all major countries as long sense passed the point of providing an incentive to produce work, or for the vast majority of writers, provided a reasonable chance for fair renumeration of their work. Ultimately, copyright serves to protect the boundless interests of the elite author and or corporate copyright holders.

Ultimately, if the trend continues, I am afraid that the public’s respect for copyright will disappear. The public knows that protecting copyrights until an author’s grandchildren are in the nursing home is not fair… and the more unfair they perceive it, the less respect they will have for copyright as a whole. I am afraid we are not far from becoming like some countries where 90% of the copies of new movies and books sold are pirated copies.